The problem of failure of soil is generally studied by shear band. The lunar environment is quite different from the earth such as Anhydrous

low gravitational fields

and very low atmospheric pressure etc.; and the internal friction angle of lunar soil is quite large. In this paper

particle rolling resistance and Van der Waals forces between lunar soil particles are taken into consideration in the new lunar soil contact model. With this model several flexible boundary biaxial compression tests are simulated by distinct element method (DEM). The results show that the formation of shear band is characterized with both strain localization and the pure rotation ratio (APR) localization; and the lunar environment has a significant influence on failure modes of samples

such as inclination and thickness of the shear band. The influence of lunar surface environment on the mechanical properties of lunar soil should be taken into account in lunar exploration.